Interview Questions And Answers

Interview questions and answers in detail.

Interview questions and answers 1:

Tell me about yourself/ introduce yourself?
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This is a very common interview question. However, one is expected to give an unique answer as most of the candidates give an obsolete answer. A candidate is supposed to summarize his/her resume (not by heart the resume and read it out again) or convey what kind of a personality he/she is. The answer should not include details about parents, siblings and their occupation etc., A sample answer is given below

“My name is Karthik and I am born and brought up in Hyderabad. Basically I’m a kind of person who loves to accept challenges and convert them into fruitful results”.

Interview questions and answers 2:

Tell me about your family?
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In this question a candidate is expected to share information related to his/her family. Details like parents’ name, siblings name and their occupations are to be shared and also the bonding you share with them should also be highlighted. Sample answer is given below.

“I belong to a small family. I live with my parents. Dad works for the state government and mom is home maker. I have a younger sister pursuing her graduation. We are closely bonded to each and I share everything about my life with my family.”

Interview questions and answers 3:

What are your strengths and weaknesses?
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This is a very crucial question in the interview process. To answer this question a candidate is advised to perform SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis on oneself. One thing a candidate has to be aware is that he/she should not bluff about his strengths as Human Resource professionals a very brainy to distinguish between the real and fake strengths.

“I have a habit of conducting SWOT analysis on a regular basis. During this I found “being a team player and being self motivated” are my consistent strengths” and coming to my weaknesses “I generally sleep very late in the night, this causes stress on me at times. I’m working on this and will overcome it soon””.

Interview questions and answers 4:

What do you know about our company?
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To answer this question the applicant is strongly recommended to visit the company’s website and jot down the important information. Details like turnover, share value, market value, projects completed, number of employees, awards received, companies acquired etc., should be noted down. Also, the answer should always convey that company is looking for a candidate like the applicant. Sample answer can be….

“Well, I have been following your company for some time now. I found recently you have acquired ***** company and also your turnover has crossed $** billion. You’re among the top * organization encourage large number of fresher’s by providing employment”.

Interview questions and answers 5:

What can this company expect from you?
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This is a question where a candidate can sell himself/herself. However, the answer should contain your unique skills set which will help a company to foresee a growth by employing you. Sample answer can be

“Right from my student days I have always been a team player. Also, I used to take leadership during crisis and manage it to perfection in getting the solution. I would keep the same momentum going during my work in your company too.”

Interview questions and answers 6:

Why do you want to join this company?
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To this question a candidate has to highlight the work culture, appraisals, rewards, awards and the challenges one can face and the growth the company assures to its employees. Sample answer can be

“Well, when I was enquiring friends of my brother/cousins about this company, almost everyone was appreciating the work culture, the way the employees are encouraged and the kinds of projects they are assigned to. This motivated me, as I always wanted to work for a company of these traits.”

Interview questions and answers 7:

What are your GOALS/ what is your aim?
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Here the candidate is advised to share his ideasand his route map with precision. I have observed many candidates giving a vague answer to this question. Please remember GOAL should always be a SMART (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic/ Reliable Time Bound) one and AIM should always be higher than a GOAL. Sample answer can be..

“My short term GOAL is to excel in the role given to me in the company I work for and set a benchmark to my sub-ordinates and peer group.”

Interview questions and answers 8:

What is the happiest moment in your life?
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A candidate is required to share the best moment in his life and how did it help him to enhance his personality. One should not boast too much in answering this question as it might lead to another impression (mostly negative as the candidate is too self centered). Sample answer can be

“The happiest moment in my life is when my sister got married last year. It taught me how to celebrate life and the challenges one encounters while performing a big event, responsibility involved and happiness in fulfilling this responsibility.”

Interview questions and answers 9:

What is the biggest disappointment in your life?
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In this question a candidate is tested on how did he/she overcome a failure. Generally candidates start getting emotional when answering this question. Though there is nothing wrong in getting emotional, but should be able to demonstrate courage too. A sample answer can be….
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“The biggest disappointment in my life is sudden demise of my grandmother. I was in intermediate writing my final exam when I go this news. I was mentally very upset and went into depression. However, I recollected her words – She always said that “one should always work hard and earn a good name in the society”. These words made me stand among top five in my academics.”

Interview questions and answers 10:

Why did you choose this particular branch (whatever is the branch) in engineering?
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Through this question the Human Resource person wants to know “what was the basic element of interest to choose that particular branch”. Most of the candidates these days, regardless the stream in which they study, opt for IT related job so this question is obvious. A sample answer can be….

“I chose mechanical engineering out of my passion of designing cars. I always think out of box in working on the projects or any other work and I always wanted to know how does the machine work. This enthusiasm made me select this branch.”

Interview questions and answers 11:

What are your hobbies?
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This question is used to test how good you are in your extracurricular activities. Candidates are advised to not to be vague in answering this question. We find many students very casually mentioning reading books, listening to music, playing chess etc., as their hobbies. Please, be careful when mentioning about a particular hobby as HR might pose questions based on that. A sample answer can be….

“my hobbies are I read motivational books and go on a bike ride with my friends. My favorite motivational speaker is my dad. He encourages me in doing difficult things and when I encounter a failure, he sits besides and guides me in a right direction.”

Interview questions and answers 12:

Who is your role model in life?
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This is a very good question if answered properly. Generally, candidates boast themselves by mentioning some big names but fail miserably to explain how they influenced him/her. Candidates are advised to prepare for this question in a befitted manner, because the answer for this question signifies what kind of qualities you are attracted to and how do they help the growth of the company. A sample answer can be..

“My role model is Yuvraj Singh. Not for the way he bats in the cricket but for the way he batted the cancer out of his life. He is a true source of inspiration for people who play a blame game once they encounter tough situations in life. I learnt from him qualities like handling tough things in life, determination and how not to fade a smile when in crisis.”

Interview questions and answers 13:

Are you willing to relocate?
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Please do not say YES immediately you encounter this question. Be diplomatic in giving an answer. A quick YES might land you trouble, as he might say I will post you to Andaman or Lakshadweep, then again you have to justify with a detailed explanation. So be assertive. A sample answer can be..

“Generally, I love travelling to different parts of the globe. However, I will make sure that my basic amenities like food, accommodation and other lifestyle related issues are taken care off. So if company offers me a good income I don’t mind relocating to decent places around the globe.”

Interview questions and answers 14:

Are you willing to work in night shifts?
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Please be frank when answering this question. However, give a valid reason if your answer is NO, otherwise no issues. A sample answer can be…..

“I don’t mind working in the night shifts. I came to know through my brother’s friends that night shift works are exciting and fun too. I would love to learn and add knowledge which in turn helps enriching my experience. (in case of ladies) I’m little concerned about the safety measures, if the company takes care of the basic safety measures I don’t have any problem working in the night shift.”

Interview questions and answers 15:

How do you handle a difficult person/ BOSS in your company?
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Don’t rush in answering this question. Take time and answer it assertively. The best practice would be citing an example from your life in which you have handled a head strong person and attained a fruitful result. A sample answer can be

“I can cite an real life example of mine to answer this question. There was this *** person in my classroom, who always differed with my thoughts. One day, I asked him to join me for a coffee and talked to him for a while about how our behavior is affecting the team spirit and the other issues. He did not come to college next day. However a day after he has come to me and assured me on working together and that he will still criticize if he thinks it does any good to to the team and I said “You’re welcome”.”

Interview questions and answers 16:

What are you expecting from the company?
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This is a very general question. Your answer will give the HR an impression about your personality. So, answer it carefully. Don’t either expect too much or too less from the company. A best practice would be getting connected to the employees and asking them about some traits. A sample answer can be…

“I am looking for an environment which offers me challenges and also supports me in accomplishing solutions to those challenges, and also I appreciate an acknowledgement when the work gets done. A friendly attitude couple with professional approach is what I am looking for in this company.”

Interview questions and answers 17:

Why there is a steep decrease in your percentage from your +2 to degree?
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This is a very general question. But answering this question might be a challenge. You cannot bluff the HR with a fake reason or an invalid explanation. Be true to yourself and give as genuine answer as possible (also don’t be too frank). A sample answer can be…

“Yeah, even I feel bad about it. There was lot of difference in the education system in +2 and degree. In degree I was focusing more on practical knowledge when compared to theoretical one. So, couldn’t score well in the academics. However, I think my practical knowledge on the concepts will be an added advantage for my role in the company.”

Interview questions and answers 18:

Tell me about your project? (What was your role in the project? Were you a TEAM MEMBER or a TEAM LEADER?)
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This is a straight question demanding a straight answer. However, be careful in answering this. I have seen all the team members of a particular project identifying themselves as TEAM LEADERS. Then who was the team member? So please discuss with your mates well in adnvace and prepare your answer accordingly. A sample answer can be…

“My project was on *** technology and it is aimed to perform ___ ___ ___ functions. I played a role of a team member in this project my role and responsibility was to design the front end pages using HTML 5 and CSS and submitting it to my team leader. In this process I also used to consult my other team members to express their opinion, using which I made modifications to make them look the best.”
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Interview questions and answers 19:
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What are your salary expectations?
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A candidate is advised to research the company’s salary structure for a fresher and then prepare the answer accordingly. Do not be too casual or too commercial in answering this question. Be diplomatic at the same time try to be in the range of existing structure. A sample answer can be…

“Though money is a secondary thing for me, I should be able to meet my expenses and my family expectations on me. I expect a perfect balance between my performance and my salary. If you want me to specific, I would say 20,000 rupees per month would be a decent start.”

Interview questions and answers 20:

Do you have any questions to ask?
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Please do not say NO and the same time do not take an interview of the HR. Limit the number of questions to 2 or 3 at the max. Please ask questions related to you career such as opportunities abroad, new assignments, expansion of the branches etc., Sample question can be

“what qualities generally do you expect from a fresher? Do you encourage fresher’s for onsite opportunities? Does your company provide transportation facility (this is for girls, who are planning to work in night shifts)?”

This completes my article on interview questions and answers. In case, if you have any doubts regarding any question please feel free to reach me at Bellapurisaikumar4@gmail.com

All the very best!!!!

Group Discussion Skills

TYPES OF GROUP DISCUSSIONS

Generally there are 2 types of group discussions

Structured Group Discussion
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Un-Structured Group Discussion

Structured group discussions have a specific formation of seating arrangement. There are 3 different seating arrangements in practice. They are

Semi – Circular Formation

Circular Formation

Closed formations such as Square, Rectangular etc.,

Out of these three, semi – circular and circular are most preferred and easy to participate as one can maintain eye contact with everyone in the group very easily.

Now, let us quickly learn how to participate in a group discussion.

Please understand that the candidate is under scanning right from the moment she/he enters into the group discussion room till they leave the room. So, the way you enter into the formation, sitting posture, body language, language, content etc., everything will play a very crucial role.

The moment you enter into the room where the group discussion is held, one will find any one of the above three mentioned formations. A candidate has to be very careful when she/he is occupying the seat. Regardless the formation, the candidate should not disturb the chair placement by dragging it or placing it in whichever direction she/he likes.

One does not find any problem if it is a semi – circular formation, as one of the ends is open and the students can directly walk in and occupy the seats. But on the other hand, if it is a closed formation, one has to remove a chair by picking it up in-order to create a room for entry, then, the remaining students have to follow the first person and finally the last person entering in to the formation has to put the chair removed by the first person back in its original position.

Once all the participants occupy their respective seats, the Human Resource (HR) person from the company will announce a topic. Generally, there are four kinds of topics in group discussion which the HR prefers.

Factual Topics: These are the topics which speak about the scenarios which happened in reality. The participant is expected to quote facts and figures in order to prove his stance.

Some examples of factual topics are list of factual topics.

Controversial Topics: The topics where there is always a chance for an argument are termed to be controversial topics. In these topic for group discussion one will find people supporting or opposing the topics. Some examples of controversial topics are list of controversial topics.
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Abstract Topics: These are the topics where the title mentioned does not have either any specific meaning or any specific intention. A participant has the freedom to speak whatever he wants strictly adhering to the topic, but he cannot speak anything not related to topic.

Some examples of abstract topics are list of abstract topics.

Case – Studies: These are very critical topics, where a group is given a situation or a scenario and are asked to imagine themselves in that situation. A candidate has to think from all the perspectives possible and think very intensely and propose a simple and effective solution. Generally, these kind of group discussion topics are preferred by the companies who are looking for highly effectively people.

Now that we have a clear idea on what are Different types of group discussions, we shall learn about the group discussion skills a candidate needs to get through this round successfully.

If you are really pumped up to clear the GD round you need to possess the group discussion techniques which makes you stand apart from the crowd and charge towards the final round of job interview.

A candidate need to possess the qualities mentioned below to successfully get through the GD. It is not mandatory that every candidate should possess all the skills mentioned here, however it is an added advantage if one can cultivate all the group discussion skills. This in-turn will help them to know how to get a job.

I will try to give detailed information related to roles and their respective group discussion skills and techniques which help them mould themselves. These are the candidates the HR looks for during the group discussion round. Let us know each role in detail.

Generally the HR looks for the following people during the group discussion.

Aggressive people or BULL DOZERS:

These people are very aggressive during the GD. They argue for each and every point the other member speaks. They use high pitch and belligerent body postures to convey their message. These kind of people are generally eliminated from the GD round.

Passive People or STONES:

These people do not show any interest while participating in the group discussion. They neither listen or maintain positive body language throughout the process.

Assertive People or DIPLOMATS:

These people participate very actively. They listen to what others say, speak and also let other speak and also take we very action to make the group discussion to look lively. DIPLOMATS are further classified according to the roles. They are…

Initiator: The person who takes the leadership to start the group discussion is called initiator. Anyone in the group can be an initiator. But, one should remember that she/he can start the discussion only if one can comprehend the topic very accurately and precisely. One should not be an initiator with half knowledge just to attract the attention of the other members. It might lead to a negative impression. An initiator’s point should be strong enough to encourage the other members of the group to talk.
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Content Builder: Every person who talks after the initiator are considered to be content builders. It is not necessary that the person who speaks next to the initiator has to support him. The content builder either can support or oppose the topic or initiator within the proximity of the topic. Content builders are constrained to talk points which revolve around the main idea of the topic.
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Moderators: These people take the ownership of the group discussion to see that everything is going as per the norms and all the points are related to the topic. They see that the entire group is emotionally balanced and direct the group as and when required.
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Concluders: These are the people who are very crucial in the GD. Their job is to bring the discussion to a halt by keeping the time effectively. Concluder’s should be very neutral in giving their opinion towards the conclusion.

This completes the group discussion round.
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From Ur's -- Bellapuri Saikumar